Educational toy



Nov. 8, 1960 w. N. WHEELER EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed Jan. 22, 1960 INVENTOR.

William /V. Wheeler Fig.

tlite S a es 2,958,961 Patented Nov. 8 1960 EDUCATIONAL TOY William N. Wheeler, 216 Sycamore Road, Lexington, Ky. Filed Jan. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 4,094

-4 Claims. (CI. 35-73) The present invention generally relates to an educational device and more particularly to such a device which will not only educate the small child of pre-school age in the use of numbers but also will instruct him in distinguishing various colors and otherwise provide a highly amusing type of device capable of educating such a child while also providing an amusing type toy.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy to teach a child the use of the numbers as well as the structural shape and significance of numbers with the device also incorporating colors associated with the numbers so that by matching colors and numbers, the child may associate the significance of the numbers and the colors thereby educating himself in connection with both numbers and colors.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy in which coordination will be taught since the child will have to manipulate the cut-out numbers and mount them in an opening provided therefor thereby developing manual dexterity and otherwise increasing the interest in the device.

Still a further important object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy which is simple and inexpensive in manufacture and in which the package for the parts becomes an integral component part of the educational toy with the entire structure being relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the educational toy of the present invention illustrating it in disassembled condition;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the educational toy in use with one end thereof broken away illustrating the manner in which the numbers are inserted into the supporting tube; and

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of Figure 2 illustrating further structural details of the supporting base and the manner of supporting the numerals on the tubular member.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the educational toy of the present invention that preferably is constructed of plastic material and which includes an elongated hollow tubular member 12 having end caps generally designated by numerals 14 and 16. Each end cap is provided with a closure plate 18 and an inwardly extending peripheral flange 20 having diametrically opposed notches 21 therein which are of the same radius as the radius of the tubular member 12 thereby serving as a support and holding means for the tubular member 12 when the tubular member 12 is in use. Also, the end caps 14 and 16 frictionally engage the tubular member 12 and are immediately useful to retain the tubular member 12 when the end caps are removed and laid with their open end up for receiving the periphery of the tubular member 12 in the recesses or notches 21 which are arcuate in construction.

The tubular member 12 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally elongated and longitudinally spaced slots 22 therein which are disposed in longitudinal alignment. The slots 22 are separated from each other by peripheral division lines 24 which divide the longitudinal length of the tubular member 12 into a plurality of different colored sections. In other words, each section is colored a distinguishable color and preferably, the end cap engaging the end section will be the same color as that end section. v

Disposed within the tubular member 12 and supportable thereon is a plurality of cut-out numerals 26 from 1 through 9 and zero, each of which is provided with the depending tab 28 for insertion through one of the slots 22. The tabs 28 are substantially the same size as the slots 22 for frictionally retaining the numerals in position and preventing accidental disengagement from slot. The numerals 26 are also colored the same color as the corresponding colored area on the tubular member 12 beginning from left to right so that both the surface area and the numeral may be associated and the numeral may also be colored the same color as the background area.

The colored areas are of equal width and each is a different color with ten color bands being provided across the length of the tube.

Many amusing arrangements may be provided such as o-rientating the numbers in scrambled condition and having a child straighten them out in their proper sequence. Many games may be played with the device since the coloring thereof renders it quite attractive in appearance. Further, the tubular member 12 forms a storage area for the numbers 26 and the end caps 14 and 16 will retain these pieces in the interior of the tube 12.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An educational toy comprising a tubular member, removably end caps for the tubular member, each of said end caps having diametrically opposed notches of arcuate configuration and having a radius equivalent to the outside radius of the tubular member thereby forming supports for the ends of the tubular member when inserted therein with the notches receiving the periphery of the tubular member thereby preventing rolling movement of the tubular member, and a plurality of cut-out independent indicia members normally received within the tubular member for storage, and means detachably interconnecting the cut-out indicia and the tubular member when the cut-out indicia is removed from the interior of the tubular member and mounted thereon in upstanding position.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means includes a plurality of longitudinally disposed, and longitudinally spaced and aligned slots, each of said cut-out indicia includes a depending tab for depending frictional engagement with the slots.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said slots is in a distinguishably colored area with the colored areas being different for each slot, said indicia being in the form of numerals 1 through 0 with the numerals being colored corresponding to the distinguishable colored area having the slot therein for orientating the numerals in sequential relationship by matching the color of the numeral with the color of the tubular member for properly and sequentially orientating the numerals.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said tubular member, end caps and numerals are constructed of plastic material of substantially rigid construction but being sufficiently resilient for the tabs on the numerals to be retained frictionally within the slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES YATENTS Hansen Mar. 7, 1933 Cisi et a1. June 3, 19'52 Hospodar Oct. 15, 1957 Cutler Jan. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Apr. 12, 1951 

